Splintered Fate
by Laeirinn
Summary: A request from a reader of In This Life – what happened if Fate decided to intervene during the first chapter of my AU story 'In This Life?


**Title:** Splintered Fate

 **Tagline:** Fate has many courses – the what if when fate decides to grant favours.

 **Genre: romance/drama/ character death/rebirth/yaoi**

 **Disclaimer:**

All characters and rights of the Junjou Romantica manga and anime series belong to Shungiku Nakamura and her publishers Blu. This fanfiction has the intention of earning any royalties or money. It is for the sole purpose of free enjoyment for the Junjou Romantica.

All chapter titles are suggestive music titles that influenced my inspiration for the direction of this story and are the property of the artists who took the time to write and record them. Please find the In This Life playlist available on Spotify.

 **Author's note:**

Prompt from a request from a reader of In This Life – what happened if Hiroki never died during the first chapter of 'In This Life'?

* * *

 **Part 1– Splintered (Aisha Badru)**

Fate is a precarious, fickle phenomenon.

To many, the entity may resemble the female constitution for fate adores reserving the right to change its mind. As the car swerved in a failed attempt to avoid hitting the two pedestrians, a vagrant moment of time tweaked Fate's fascination. The car screeching tires echoed across the cosmos as time dawdled to a sluggish pace. Here was a fate defining moment, one instance that could re-write providence for several souls in the universe. Tangled, twisted and stretched the red string of two lovers wove its way through a labyrinth of disorder until it frayed into two streams of fate.

Curiosity peaked, Fate hovered close watching the events of that atrociously beautiful moment as death beckoned one soul that battled so hard to hold on. The energy contained in this one soul shone brighter than the shiniest star in the night sky. The dying man clung desperately on clinging to the thinnest sliver of hope. Surround by the debris of the road collision, laying in the pooling surface water of the rain that was tinted red with blood; the fragile man clung desperately to the thought of the one he loved.

Love was the most challenging emotion that Fate had encountered in the eons of the existence. In the name of love, so many of humanity's pedantic problems arose. So much pain and suffering throughout the eons could be attributed to the recondite emotion, Love. Very rarely was there a true love that defied logic, fate, and death. Few Loves in the cosmos could boost they were pure and everlasting; in such rare cases, Fate was drawn to observe how Love would shape and craft the outcome of the play of events.

Fate never interfered without good reason or intrigue.

Fate experienced every burning breath, sharp spasm and radical rush of adrenalin the man felt. The form started to quiver and shake with the strain of pain and onset of the numbness of the cold. An incredibly intense wave of regrets washed through the dying man's subconscious at the realisation he was dying. Every regret sorrowfully centered around on lover in the midst of the soul-crushing pain. Fate felt its heart clenching painfully as a vision of in the dying man's dark-haired lover appeared in his mind's eye.

Fate leaned in as the man gasped for his final words.

Fate felt its eyes go wide as the in the last moment of his life, Hiroki murmured three words. 'Wait… for…me…"

His last and only thought was his beloved Nowaki…

The question of "What if?" crossed Fate's mind.

What would have become of this love?

Tweezing out the fraying red thread, Fate deliberated the conflict in the grand design.

This change could tie together two destinies to one heart.

It would be a deliberated intricate blunder in the weave of the tapestry of time if it were permitted.

The act of alteration would only cause the equilibrium of fate would only distort by the intervention.

Ghosting in a new course, Fate stood back allowing the cord its liberty.

The shimmering light of the soul started to diverge and splinter into two strands before Fate's eyes.

Now, Fate only needed to provide an opportunity for the soul to live.

Sipping a solitary cup of coffee was Kusama Nowaki sat waiting.

Unknown to him, he was waiting for his destiny to arrive.

His dark blue eyes scanned the passers-by for the familiar face of his lover as he sipped the hot coffee.

Fate needed to lure out the young doctor.

Nowaki needed a breadcrumb trail to follow.

Fate created a ghostly apparition dressed in a hideous bright yellow raincoat that would not fail to tempt the young doctor from his seat in the warmth. As the ghostly copy of Kamijou Hiroki to strolled by the window dressed oddly in a yellow raincoat, Nowaki spluttered out his coffee coughing in surprise as the garish colour his lover wore. Soft sorrel eyes met his confused blue; he held that gaze with a questioning look as Fate's ghost stopped in front of him on the other side of the glass window. The meretricious shadow pivoted to hold out its hand pressed up against the glass in a gesture of invitation.

It was inviting Nowaki to follow it.

Nowaki gaped at the strange figure of his lover that stood saying

Was this his Hiro-san?

The doubt tugged at his heart.

Why was Hiro-san behaving in such outlandish way?

Was this some valentine's surprise connected to the present that was tucked away in his bag?

Astounded, he puzzled over the appearance of his lover wore a sad, mournful smile. Those lips moved in silent words to him through the thick glass. Suddenly the figure turned to walk away. The phantom's hand ran along the glass smudging and severing the meandering tears of the rain rushing down the glass surface.

This moment was Fate's silent invitation to Nowaki to change his future.

His decision was the catalyst upon which the fate of the future rested.

"Hiro-san?" Nowaki murmured rising to his feet as he watched his lover start to leave.

He seized his jacket and bag, slipping it on he dashed into the rain after the curious character. The ostentatious yellow raincoat was easy to spot amongst the dull tradition coats and umbrellas of the home-time rush. Bobbing in and out of the crowd, he followed the figure through the streets. As he pursued the yellow raincoat-clad figure through the throng of commuters, fate was splintering with each step he took closer to the ground zero of the accident. This red string of fate with Hiro-san started to branch to create two different futures.

Now, this Kusama Nowaki would never know Komori Hiroko.

This Kusama Nowaki would live out his days loving his Hiro-san alone.

Soaked to the bone, Nowaki stood bewildered as his yellow raincoat guide suddenly disappeared. Rain droplets dripped from his dark hair as he felt an overwhelming ghostly feeling of grief and loss that ascended in his heart. Starting to believe he had foolishly followed a doppelganger. Glancing at his watch, he realised Hiro-san would probably be awaiting the restaurant. Cursing his moment of insanity, Nowaki turned quickly to battle against the current of the crowd in an attempt to beat his Hiro-san to the restaurant they were due to meet at in fifteen minutes.

The wail of police sirens pricked Nowaki's ears.

The blurring screech became louder as a car tore passed speeding recklessly in the pedestrian zone.

Nowaki stared after the vehicles for a moment before shaking his head at the irresponsibly.

The squeal of tires caught his attention long after the cars had passed.

He heard a woman scream in terror.

A dull deafening thud as something or someone was hit.

Crunching bending of metal and the smashing of glass echoed out in the silent falling rain.

Glancing over his shoulder, he witnessed a car collide through the window of a vacant storefront. As it burst into flames, his doctor's instinct took over. People stood temporary stunned by the carnage before their eyes as he rushed through the crowd pushing shellshocked, gawking people aside. Reaching the car, Nowaki and two other men pulled out an unconscious front passenger, a bumbling driver shaking in shock and indignant passenger, cursing his accomplice choice. From the incoherent whimpers of the driver, he realised there had been two pedestrian victims.

Straightening, Nowaki saw the river of water seeping into the drain was stained deep red with blood. In the distance, he saw the figures of three police officers and a young woman crouching beside a fallen body. There was a flurry of activity around the falling figure. The police were starting to setup dividers to keep the gathering people from viewing the carnage that had been dealt with the impact.

A coldness gripped his heart.

The figure on the ground his mind instantly recognised even at a distance.

An inhuman cry was wrenched from Nowaki's throat.

"I'm a doctor. I AM A DOCTOR!" Nowaki shouted as he ran pushing his way through the on-lookers.

The police officer heard his cry, acting promptly to clear a path for him.

Reaching, Hiro-san's side, Nowaki felt his heart stop.

He knew without looking his lover wasn't breathing.

"No! Goddamit, don't you dare give up on me, Hiro-san." Nowaki cursed as he checked for a pulse.

When he failed to feel the rhythmical flutter that he fell asleep too every night, Nowaki surrendered to his Doctor mode. Barking for blankets, coats, and anything to keep Hiro-san warm. Police officers scrambled around providing the materials to cover the broken body before him. He was battling three-minute window now with the devil as he began CPR.

Sweat appearing as he continued to exert himself desperately pushing at Hiroki's chest.

His breath and forceful kiss the only power keeping his lover alive.

Each touch of his lips forcing oxygen into Hiro-san's lungs.

The force of his hand pumping his heart to stimulate blood flow.

The wicked clock of death counting against him as he warred against the timer.

Desperately, he cried out feeling the burn of tears in his strain.

"Don't you dare give up on me, Hiro-san! Stay with me plea-se!"

* * *

When Kamijou Hiroki died, his last and only thought was Nowaki…

As the slow creeping embrace of death started to trickle through his cooling body, a distant muffled voice tickled his consciousness. He could hear and feel the fading voice and touch of his lover. Content, Hiroki smiled to himself grateful that in the end, Nowaki was with him. He could not see him, but he knew his handsome, dark-haired lover was beside him and holding him as he slipped into the slumber of the eternal sleep to.

There was a shimmering light calling him.

Something was waiting for him now.

As he felt his consciousness slipped away, he heard a shocking cry from Nowaki.

"Don't you dare give up on me, Hiro-san! Stay with me plea-se!"

Hiroki hesitated as the voice of his lover pierced through the veil of death that divided them.

Was that his Nowaki?

Hiro-san shook off the comforting stillness that beckoned him at the desperation and fear he heard.

His Nowaki sounded terrified.

His Nowaki sounded in pain.

Nowaki needed him.

As his mind became consumed with the worry for his lover, his conscious fought to hold on.

Hiroki felt an explosion of pain race through his body as he came back to the world of the living.

A demanding, distance sensation touched his lips.

A ticklish, warm sensation filled his chest.

Life exploded back in his body as he cried out in pain gasping for air.

Each breath was torturous labour as life refilled his numb body

Lost in the din surrounding him was the frantic sound of Nowaki's voice.

Under the barrage of pain, Hiroki struggled to understand the rush of words his lover said as he opened his eyes. The blurriness that greeted revealed his lover as the frantic doctor who was battling to keep him alive. Hiroki felt a small sliver of gratitude that his lover had opted to do medicine over social subjects. He owed his life to his typhoon.

He blacked out again for a brief spell.

Hiroki came back to consciousness feeling the prick of a needle in his arm.

A paramedic smiled reassuringly down at him.

The damp feeling against his skin was gone.

He felt hot and clammy now.

The pain was an obscure burning sensation at the back of his mind.

Hovering behind the paramedic was a stiff figure of his lover who was busy adjusting a dip.

An ineligible murmur escaped his lips under the oxygen mask.

"I think he is calling for you," the paramedic said looking up at Nowaki.

Nowaki turned with a grave, fearful look written in his profile.

"Here sit next to him." The paramedic said. "We are going to be leaving in a minute. Keep talking to him and try to keep him calm."

Nowaki sat in the seat beside the trolley, tears dripping down his face he leaned in close.

Nowaki pressed a faint kiss against his forehead.

"I thought I lost you, Hiro-san," Nowaki said on a shuddering breath. "Never do that to me again."

He tried to croak a reply but was hushed by his lover who gently brushed away his hair from his face.

Entwining their fingers, Nowaki took hold of his lover and refused to release Hiroki.

The Demon Kamijou fiercely returned that grip, holding onto his lover like a life-line.

 **(To be continued…)**


End file.
